Committee Chair

Onyango, Mbakisya

Committee Member

Fomunung, Ignatius; Bathi, Jejal Reddy; Owino, Joseph

Department

Dept. of Civil and Chemical Engineering

College

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

The Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) represents a recent pavement design approach, developed to address the shortcomings of the 1993 AASHTO Guide for Design of Pavement Structures. The Pavement Mechanistic-Empirical Design (PMED) software is set to operationalize the mechanistic-empirical principles outlined in MEPDG. However, empirical distress prediction models integrated into PMED were developed and calibrated using national data, necessitating validation and local calibration before implementation on a local scale. Moreover, updates to PMED present possibilities for continuous evaluation to account for improvements in the distress prediction models. This study validates PMED version 2.6.2.2’s prediction models using Tennessee pavement performance data from the Long Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) database, along with previously established local and current global calibration coefficients. Findings from statistical evaluations support the need for local calibration and recalibration of the distress prediction models, in order to suit Tennessee conditions.

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, I would like to thank the Almighty God, whose grace and mercy have been more than sufficient throughout my academic journey. My family has been very supportive and present and for that, I am profoundly indebted to them. I am grateful to my dad for his wisdom and counsel during tough times, and to my mum, for her prayers and sacrifices thus far. My siblings have not only been steadfast companions but also enthusiastic cheerleaders and wellsprings of inspiration. I count myself immensely blessed to have them. I am thankful to my esteemed advisor, Dr. Mbakisya Onyango, whose patience, guidance, and expertise have played a pivotal role in shaping my academic and professional development throughout this endeavor. My heartfelt appreciation also extends to Dr. Ignatius Fomunung, Dr. Jejal Bathi, Dr. Joseph Owino, and Dr. Weidong Wu for their consistent support, guidance, and invaluable assistance. Special recognition is extended to The Tennessee Department of Transportation for their generous funding towards my graduate studies through a Research Project, for which I worked as a Research Assistant. Without their immense contribution, this study would not have been feasible. I also wish to acknowledge the Department of Civil Engineering at UTC for providing numerous avenues, essential resources, and necessary facilities throughout my academic pursuit. I express profound gratitude to Ms. Karen Lomen for her invaluable assistance with the administrative aspects throughout my educational journey in the Civil Engineering Department. Her expertise has been instrumental in navigating the logistical and bureaucratic intricacies. Finally, a big thank you to my colleagues and friends, Mithu Chanda, Ayman Gumaa, Dumbiri Odia, Kelvin Msechu, Lina Abdelkarim, Samah Babiker, and Faiza Khan, for their support and camaraderie throughout this transformative journey. Their friendship has been invaluable in helping me achieve my academic aspirations.

Degree

M. S.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science.

Date

8-2024

Subject

Pavements, Concrete--Cracking; Pavements--Design and construction; Pavements--Performance--United States--Tennessee

Keyword

AASHTOWare PMED; Empirical Distress Prediction Models; Validation; Local Calibration; Calibration Coefficients; Pavement Distresses

Document Type

Masters theses

DCMI Type

Text

Extent

xiii, 66 leaves

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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